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Flora Style/ Spider Blade
The Spider Blade discipline was developed not long after the Dragon Blade. Since mages ran the risk of being assaulted at close range, this style was developed with a magic user in mind. Not every mage trained in this style however, as some were not capable in direct confrontation for one reason or another. Some mages also could take care of themselves without this style. However, this style eventually gave birth to Spellswords, warriors who purposely waded into melee range while making use of their magic. It was later adopted by the Paladins so they could make use of their protective spells while engaged in combat. While developed as a style for mages, it was sometimes utitilzed by duelists, typically complimented with another style. Development and Strategy The Spider Blade was originally developed as the "Flora Style." It was named this because like poisonous plants, the user would be much more dangerous than at first glance. It was eventually renamed after the spider due to its tendency to lead its opponent into a trap, usually a magical spell. On the battlefield, mages very quickly became priority targets. Once an enemy was upon them, it was difficult for a mage to cast a spell since chanting and focusing was next to impossible while being assaulted. The Spider Blade style was developed as a defensive style that made use of very precise parries. The parries often would use the momentum of the enemy against them, often guiding the attacks into the ground or anything else nearby. If an opening was created, the user would either cast a spell or make some offensive strike. Typically weaker spells were used in conjunction with this style, as they are more practical in melee combat for their shorter casting time. Some offensive maneuvers were eventually added to the style, typically assuming the user had a spell ready to cast. Despite these additions, it is still considered a defensive style. The strategy of the Spider Blade discipline revolves around throwing an attacker off-balance and then counterattacking. If countering with a sword, it would usually be with the tip of the sword to inflict a small wound before retreating unless a more devastating strike could be assured. The more common counterattack would usually be with a spell that could be cast quickly. While the strategy is rather simple, the parries themselves require precision. However, despite the simple and predictable strategy, magic was typically very difficult for an opponent to deal with as armor can do very little against it. It was an especially effective style against amateurs because it could either frustrate them into fighting worse. If performed subtly enough, it can also trick an opponent into thinking they are dictating the pace of the fight and by extension the fight itself. Variants The Spider Blade is almost exclusively seen in Single Blade variant for one rather large reason; the other hand is used to cast spells. While it is possible to channel spells into blades, it is not a particularly easy technique to maintain or learn, making the Two-Handed variant rare. The Dual Blade variant is also rare, as it is effectively impossible to use magic with it. Some duelists use this style, but the magical aspect is not brought into play. Single Blade: '''Considered by many the only true way to use the style, the Spider Blade Single Blade variant was employed by many mages. The off hand was used to cast spells, either through the use of a focus or their bare hand. Naturally, the off-hand is kept as far away from the actual fighting as possible until it was ready to sling a spell. As it has seen the most use, this variant is also the most refined. '''Two-Handed: The Two-Handed variant is often seen as impractical, even if the user can employ it. The variant often involved channeling a spell into the blade while fighting and creating openings to use the spell enhanced blade to end the fight in one blow. Channeling a spell however drains the user and likely will lead to their defeat if the fight doesn't end fast. Dual Blade: While used primarily by duelists to un-balance a foe and counter with their off-hand weapon, it completely ignores using magic. Channeling magic into one blade is hard, while two at once is near impossible. Then assuming the user can, the drain on their reserves is massive. The Spider Blade Dual variant commonly used today is often labeled as false. This arose on the few occasions where warriors have been seen using two blades and magic in conjunction. Focus Swords were created, allowing the user to use them as a focus like a wand or staff, however these swords were considerably more fragile and could easily be broken by magically reinforced swords. Aside from this, the divine blades were known for being able to cast magic on their own while retaining the durability of a magically reinforced sword. However, there are only twelve in the entire world, and there have only been a handful of accounts of users wielding two of them.